Counting device



April 28, 1953 w. J. sUMMERs COUNTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 26, 1950 l Patented Apr. 28,1953

COUNTING DEVICE William J. Summers, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Lyndon A. Durant, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 26, 1950, Serial No. 181,610

(Cl. 23S-92) 3 Claims. l

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in counting devices and has for its object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly eflicient in use and economical in manufacture.

Among the salient objects of this invention is the provision of an arrangement for preventing the operation of the counting wheels by vibration, shock, or any method other than that of the means provided for such operation.

Devices of the character hereinafter described are especially useful in recording the number of coins deposited in a vending machine or a coinoperated amusement device.

It has been found that by violently shaking or striking the machine the counting wheels can be caused to rotate. The invention has for its object the provision of a simple arrangement for preventing the operation of the counting device in the above manner.

Yet another and equally important object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which comprises the minimum number of parts, thereby resulting in economical assembly and manufacture.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same showing the cover thereof removed;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary sectional detail view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts thereof in different positions with respect to each other;

Fig. is a perspective view of a pull link embodied in the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the counting wheels embodied in the invention.

In the drawings my improved counting device is shown as comprising an enclosure I0. This enclosure includes a bottom wall I I and side walls I2 formed integral therewith, and a cover I3, the bottom wall II constituting a mounting plate. The cover is formed substantially U-shaped and has flanges I4 which overlap adjacent end portions of the side walls. The cover I3 provides attaching lugs I5 which, after projection through slots I6 formed in the bottom wall II, are bent .upon the bottom wall to complete connection bej the side walls I2.

tween the cover and such wall. The upper portions of the walls II of the cover taper inwardly to conform to the tapered upper portions I8 of These tapered portions of the cover are formed integral with a fiat intermediate portion I9. This portion I9 is provided with an elongated Slot 20 preferably, though not necessarily, closed by a transparent closure of plastic or like material. Through this slot 20 are viewed the indicia or numbers 2| of the counting wheels 22, the numbers running from zero to nine. Each wheel 22, along one peripheral edge thereof, is provided with circumferential teeth 23 which mesh with the teeth of an adjacent gear 24 rotatably mounted on a shaft 25 having its ends journaled in the side walls as at 25.

Alternate teeth of the gear 24 are shorter than the adjacent tooth of said gear and the longer teeth 2l of such gear are adapted to be engaged by a driving lug 28 formed on each of the wheels 22 whereby to successively advance the wheels 22 one step.

Such an arrangement is well known in the art and constitutes no part of the present invention. These wheels 22 are mounted for individual rotation upon a shaft 29 having its ends 30 journaled in the side walls.

Mounted on the plate II is an electromagnetic coil 3l. Associated with this coil 3I is an armature plate 32 having one end 33 journaled in one of the side walls I2. The opposite end portion of the armature plate 32 provides a lug 34 which projects into a slot 35 of a pull link 36. This pull link 36 has a lateral pin 31 which projects into an opening 38 formed in a rocker arm 39.

The armature plate 32 is normally urged to project upwardly from the coil 3I by means of a spring 110. This upward movement of such armature plate 32 is limited by a stop finger 4i formed 'as a part of the pull link 36.

The rocker 39 is mounted for pivotal movement upon the shaft 29 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. lt provides a cut-out portion 42 forming a finger 43 which is adapted to engage an adjacent long tooth of the adjacent gear 24 of the gears 24 to impart rotation to such gear in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4. This operation takes effect when the armature plate is attracted to the coil 3l.

Upon return of the armature plate to its initial starting position by action of the spring 40, a shoulder or nose 44 provided by the rocker arm 39 will engage an adjacent long tooth of the gear 24 andy complete the cycle of rotation of such gear so as to advance the adjacent wheel 22 of the wheels 22 one step. When in the posit-ion shown in Fig. 3, the corner 44 of the rocker arm 39 will be disposed in position to engage an adjacent long tooth of the gear 24 whereby to latch the gear 24 against rotation by reason of vibration, shock, or the like.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the counting device embodying my invention is provided Vvwitlfi-fan eiective arrangement for advancingthe counting wheels-land forxlat'ching said counting wheels against rotation other than by the electromagnetic coil. The device comprises relatively few parts, enabling economical assembly.

It will be particularly notedthat the wheels,

22 are of like construction and assuchgreatly facilitate the assembly of the device.

If desired, the opening Zilmaybeforme'difin either of the tapered wall portions laas shown in dotted lines I3'.

The bottom wall or mounting plate I l. provides mounting' anges 'i 5 bywhich 'they device" may fbe' mounted-inraA desirable position upon astationary' support.

lWhile 'I :have illustratedzanddescribedfthe preferred form' of construction for carryingl my`- invention" into 'ereci-thisV isv capable of Mvariation and rmodii'lcation xwithout departing 'from A'the "spirit of the: invention. 1I,-"'therecre, Ydonot wish to be' limited to` the" precise* details oi construc- "tionset forthfbut" desire toV avail` myself of such variations-- and modincations as comexwithin4 the scope of. the appenidedclaims.

Having thus described'my: invention,-`what vI NPatent is:

1. A. mechanism'or'rotating Na driving' gear Aof a counting device 'in-which gear thaalternate teeth thereof varent-longer lengththan the re- 'maining teethcomprising ya number tvheelbearing sha1, t, a rookerrneinherI VpivotallyA mounted on lone end'of saidshaitf andy comprising a-'noseI portion and a driving inger adjacent the nose 'portionfsaidfnose'portion and saidfnger being arranged#-atf-onei-side 'ofrsai'd driving "'gearran'd adapted to-alternately-engagc adjacent-'ends ofV said -iong teethof' ysaid "drivingf gear, said finger adapted to advance said driving gear infone Vdirecl tion and said nose portion.. adapted tor prevent rotation of said:geaitinfV an opposite'directionfa 1 pull link having f pivotal k"connection "-'With "i said f rocker memberv and vadapted tolpivot lsaid'fnose .portion and :.saidiiir-igerA intoalter-nateA engagenient withA saidi'long `teeth of rfsaidrdrivingrzgear, s and an electrornagneticf coil including a-nfarmature havingy pivotal connection withv said link,-and .means for moving saidV armature upwardly: to dis- :pose said nose portionforengagementv `Witl'ifsaid Vadjacent long. teeth.

. 2.L .A .mechanism forrotatingr a" drivingz. gearof a counting device inawhichgearnalternate.teeth 4 thereof are of longer length than the remaining teeth, comprising a number wheel bearing shaft, a rocker member pivotally mounted on said shaft and comprising a nose portion and a driving nnger adjacent the nose portion, said nose portion and nger being arranged at one side of said driving gear and adapted to alternately engage adjacent ends of long teeth of said driving ,.,gearfsaid nger adapted to advance said gear in lan opposite direction,.,a` pull link having pivotal connection with said rocker member and adapted .to pivot said rocker and move said ringer and said nose portion into alternate engagement with :.said" long teeth of said gear, an electromagnetic coil including an..arrnature having pivotal conv',nection With said pull link and adapted to pivot said pull link in a downward direction, and spring :..meansorfmoving said armature upwardly to dispose said nose portion for engagement with 'said'adjacent long teeth, and a stop lug on said pull link adapted to engage said shaft to limit upwardl movement of-s'aid link andv said armature by said spring means.

3. VA lcounting 'device comprising any enclosure,

number bearing wheelsrotatably arranged in the enclosure, interdriving connections between said =wheels-comprising driving gears having a plurality-of teeth `with everyother tooth wider than 'the-adjacent toothf thereof, an electromagnetic coil-arranged inthe enclosure and including an armature plate, a rocker armpivotallyarranged inthe enclosure and including a nose portion and an-'Ioppositely exposedV fdriving finger, said nose "portion andsaidinger being arranged at one side of said driving gearsand adapted to alternately engage -adjacentren'ds of the long teeth of one offsaid'drivingfgearsysaidfinger adapted to advance said gears inY one direction and said nose por-tion adapted tozprevent rotation of said gears 11 after said advancement in an opposite direction,

and a pull link having pivotal connection with I.said-rocker member-and with ari-end portion of Asaid'arrnature'for alternately engaging the nger vvand'the nose N.portionizwith said adjacent long teeth `oi yone vofsaid gears to impart rotation to said driving gears in one directionand to latch one of saldi-:gears: fromvrotationirin 4an opposite direction.

."@ReierencesfCitedin' the'le of` this patent fUNITED STATESPATENTS Number Name Date .1,226,072 .Hart May 15, 1917 1,385,408 Veeder 'July .26, 1921 1,521,137 .Veeder .Dec..30, 1924 1,794,368 .Degener Mar. 3,1931 A.2,049,499 `L "i-Iaselton Aug. 4, 1936 .i 2,097,151 .Gleason Oct. 26,1937 2,175,621 VanVeen .`Oct.-l0, 1939 

